California Coastal CrawlerJun. 16 - Jun. 18"It was great -- I loved the flexibility because that's so uncommon on most tours."Shaina

National Parks LoopJun. 4 – Jun. 10 "The itinerary was amazing as each day we went somewhere stunning and you never stopped, with each day being filled with stuff to do. It was also really good being able to swim everyday as it made you feel cleaner. I had such an amazing time, i miss the bus so much and will definetly recommend you to everyone! Couldn't have asked for a better trip!"Katie

Canyons of the WestJun 27 - Jul 6"I truly enjoyed how diverse our bus group was. There were people from 14 different countries, aged from 8 to 69 years-old, and everyone got along well. I felt as if I had jumped into a community full of love and support of my life's upcoming adventures."
Lisa

Green Tortoise Adventure Travel:

494 Broadway

San Francisco, CA 94133 USA

U.S. and Canada:

1.800.TORTOISE (1.800.867.8647)

San Francisco and Worldwide:

001.415.956.7500

E-mail:

Website:

Copyright 2007 Green Tortoise Adventure Travel

Combination Trips Offer Exciting Possibilities!

Ready to go? Check out these great combination trips, listed only on our website:

With summer in full swing, a lot of folks are asking us what we mean by "Combination Trip"? Combination trip refers to the fact that you will likely be on more than one Green Tortoise bus. For instance, the Best of the West is a combination of our Western Trail and Canyons of the West trips. For those of you less experienced travelers, not to worry! We will take care of the connection details to make it a hassle free experience. Our combination trips are designed to give you many more travel options and dates. So if you’ve always been interested in our Canyons of the West trip, but live in Los Angeles, we now have the perfect trip for you, our Canyons of the West - LA!

There are really some exciting possibilites; in fact, we just discovered a new one recently: San Francisco to Zion National Park in a weekend! Contact us for details.

Those of you who have been on the Green Tortoise before know firsthand that it's a great way to meet people; combination trips not only provide you with a wider variety of travel options, but also with the opportunity to meet more like-minded people from all over the world!

Happy Trails!
The Gang at Green Tortoise

PS - Some of you have also noticed that the rising cost of fuel has forced us to raise our prices a bit. We remain the most affordable adventures around, and we thank you for your understanding. Please note, we do anticipate increasing our prices within the next two weeks (by June 18) as fuel reaches near $5 per gallon. So take advantage of our lower prices now by booking your adventure within the next two weeks.

The Driver's Side: On the Road -- Cross-Country USA!

Join us for the ultimate American road trip! by Erik Rogers, Green Tortoise Driver and Webmaster

Jack Kerouac defined the great American cross-country road trip in 1957 with the publication of his seminal novel "On the Road," in which he made an epic journey from New York City to San Francisco and back again. I timed reading this novel to coincide with my first Green Tortoise adventure, the Northern Crossing, which took me cross-country from San Francisco to New York City.

Although my own adventure didn't include any dusty rides in the back of a pickup truck with a cowboy named Montana Slim, I had the distinct advantage over old Jack in that I got to experience a white-water rafting trip, the geological wonderland of Yellowstone, the alpine-like terrain of the Grand Tetons, and a mind-blowing hike in the Badlands of South Dakota. In addition, we enjoyed several hidden swim stops, an authentic dinner with a family of Lakota Sioux, and unique glimpses of "Americana" -- the kinds of special places that one can rarely find on a map let alone included in the average package tour.

That was eight years ago -- a year later I was back in San Francisco, this time behind the wheel of a Green Tortoise bus for my first trip as a driver ... with my sights again set on the east coast! The Green Tortoise Cross-Country USA adventures have proved over the years to be amongst my favorite trips. I love the unique combination of hiking and camping in the best national parks America has to offer, spiced with visits to vibrant cities, where you can do practically everything from jamming to great music to exploring famous museums. Check out some of these trips on our website for yourself, then connect with your own inner Kerouac and get on the bus!

And while you're in San Francisco, be sure to book a space at our San Francisco hostel, which is nestled amongst all the funky North Beach hangouts of Jack Kerouac!

From cascading rivers and thundering waterfalls to the legendary granite faces of El Capitan and Half Dome (pictured), Yosemite National Park is a nature lover's dream. Walk on wooded trails, visit the alpine lakes and meadows of the high country, and hike through an ancient grove of Giant Sequoias, the largest living things on earth (and, having sprouted 1,500 years ago in some cases, also some of the oldest)!

Every Monday, June through October, we go to Yosemite, California's first National Park. This is the perfect three-day, four-night trip to take if you've never been on the Green Tortoise and want to get a sense of what a longer trip is like. The cost includes all camping fees, the park entrance fee, and all but one meal. Weekday Yosemite trips leave Monday evening and return early Friday morning, giving you three full days to enjoy the bounty of the park and the eastern Seirra.

Can't get out of work that long? We have the solution! Join us for a weekend escape you'll never forget -- twice each month we venture to the park as well. Weekend trips depart on Friday evening for two full days in Yosemite, including a day in the valley and another in the picturesque high country with a walk amongst the ancient Sequoias. We'll drop you off in San Francisco in plenty of time breakfast before heading back to the "real world."

We've included our full list of departure dates here. You can also visit our website for more details about our Yosemite adventures, or contact us for details!

Special Offer: Fourth of July Northern Pioneer

Celebrate your independence with some of the world's best wilderness!

Check out some great Fourth of July fireworks this year before heading on an amazing adventure with Green Tortoise to Grand Tetons and Yellowstone! Our Northern Pioneer departs just in time to catch a spectacular display of Fourth of July festivities. Book between June 9 and June 13 and receive 15% off the trip fare! This offer is valid on new bookings only and is not combinable with any other discount offers.

Friends of the Tortoise: Camp Unalayee

Camp Unalayee is an accredited summer camp for Youths ages 10-17. Located in Northern California , we welcome campers from all over the world, all backgrounds, and all income levels to live in and explore the Trinity Alps Wilderness. Unalayee is a unique place and program for adventurous young people.

"What you've done becomes the judge of what you're going to do -- especially in other people's minds. When you're traveling, you are what you are right there and then. People don't have your past to hold against you. No yesterdays on the road. "